The leading edge of widespread, heavier snow and wintry precipitation will arrive from the west Thursday evening, likely at 7pm and afterward. Cities and towns like Pinckney, Chelsea, Ann Arbor, Onstead and Adrian will be affected first. Then the storm will march across Detroit and southeast Michigan beginning at 9pm and shortly afterward.

Here's the trick part. It's temperature. Warmer air will filter into the system as it passes. Therefore, most of southeast Michigan will experience a fluctuation of snow to sleet to a rain-snow mix back to snow during the early morning hours of Friday.

The see-sawing between snow, wintry mix and sleet will do two things. It will cut down on snow totals by the end of Friday morning and it will make the snow accumulating slushier and heavier. This means snowy, slushy, wet roads instead of snowy, icy roads for many Detroiters. Plus, it may make it easier to clear for huge, hefty snow plows. However, it will be harder on the backs and hearts of many people shoveling by hand Friday.

Greater snowfall will occur the farther North you go.

Areas South of I-94,including Adrian and Monroe, will receive 1 to 3inches of snow by the end of Friday morning.

Between M-59 and I-69,including Clarkston, Lake Orion, Romeo, Armada and St. Clair, will get 5 to 6inches by the end of Friday morning. Along and north of I-69, including Flint, Lapeer and Port Huron, will receive 6 to 10 inches of snow by the end of Friday morning.

The snow will provide the perfect setting for the MotownWinter Blast from Friday through Sunday at Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. Friday afternoon will be mostly cloudy with highs near 30. Saturday will be sunnier with highs in the upper 20s. Sunday may have rain move in late with highs in the middle and upper 30s.

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